June 12: Atiku, Obi, Opposition Parties Slam FG, Call Democracy Day a ‘Sham’

By Our Reporters

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and the Labour Party (LP) have all taken issue with President Bola Tinubu’s Democracy Day speech and his administration’s governance style.

Their criticisms followed Tinubu’s address during a joint session of the National Assembly in Abuja on Thursday, where he honoured June 12 heroes both living and deceased, with the conferment of national honours, as well as activists who sacrificed their lives in the fight for justice.

In his Democracy Day statement, Atiku accused the President of prioritising “conquest over governance”, warning that Nigeria’s democracy is under threat from “creeping authoritarianism, elite cronyism, and institutional subversion” under the current government.

Peter Obi, for his part, argued that democracy has been “in recession” since Tinubu assumed office two years ago. The Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate urged the President to recognise that “governing by remote control is not what Nigerians need”, stressing that much has gone wrong under his watch.

The PDP went further, alleging that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is deliberately “orchestrating crises within opposition parties”, likening the situation to the biblical tale of “the hand of Esau but the voice of Jacob”.

Meanwhile, the Labour Party expressed dismay over Nigeria’s democratic decline, stating that the country’s current political practices “fall far short of true democracy”.

Reflecting on the sacrifices of the June 12 struggle, including his own decision to step aside for the late MKO Abiola, Atiku lamented that the ideals for which many, including Kudirat Abiola, Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, and Alfred Rewane, gave their lives, are now being undermined.

“This government represents the lowest ebb in our democratic journey. Institutions have been weaponized.

“Policies are crafted not to empower the people but to entrench fear, obedience, and control. The common Nigerian has been abandoned at the altar of elite comfort.

“And make no mistake: this is the antithesis of everything June 12 stands for.

“As long as oppression thrives, June 12 lives on, not just as memory, but as movement,” he concluded”, Atiku said.

On his part, former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, criticised the President over his international trips, noting such efforts would have been dedicated domestic trips.

His words: “Mr. President you have already made over 30 international trips, spending nearly 150 days abroad.

“If you tour Nigeria’s 36 states and dedicate just two days to tour each state, it would take only 72 days for you to do so, less than half the time you have already spent in other areas of the country on foreign trips.

“You need to go around the country to see. We must end this troubling governance era that is filled with impunity, state capture, and absolute disregard for the rule of law and the checks and balances required of any worthwhile democracy.

“It is most troubling that in its two years in office, the present government has brought the nation to the point where our leaders now celebrate and endorse failure, lies, and propaganda.

“The government today, rather than show genuine accountability and measurable progress, focuses on manipulating narratives, gaslighting the public, shifting blame and weaponizing governance.

Factional Acting National Chairman of the Labour Party, Senator Usman, called for true democarcy.

She made the call in an address delivered at the New Nigeria Youth Summit 2025, themed: “Attracting Diaspora Investment, Pulling Nigeria Out of Poverty, and Transforming into a Global Economic Power”.

Reflecting on the significance of June 12, Usman said it was imperative to honour the sacrifices of Nigeria’s pro-democracy heroes and heroines who, 32 years ago, defied tyranny and dreamed of a nation where the people would truly hold sovereign power.

“We remember Chief MKO Abiola, whose blood—like that of many others—watered the fragile seed of our democracy,” she said. “But as we gather here in Abuja to engage on the future of Nigeria, we must ask with honest hearts: Is this the democracy they died for?”

According to her, Nigeria’s democracy has become increasingly hollow.

“The bitter truth remains that our democracy often mocks its own name,” she lamented.

“We have made progress in some areas, but the heart of democracy — free, fair, and credible elections; the rule of law; and accountable governance — continues to suffer under the weight of manipulation, impunity, and elite capture.”